NCJ Number
83270
Date Published
1974
Length
111 pages
Annotation
As part of a four-volume analysis of criminalistics laboratory effectiveness, this report describes criminalistic aids that are available at each step in a crime investigation and assesses their use.
Abstract
Data were collected from criminal justice operations at three sites between November 1973 and July 1974: Contra Costa County, Calif.; Dade County, Fla.; and Columbus, Ohio. Areas examined were arrival times at the crime scene, search duration, number of physical evidence items collected and analyzed, the significance of physical evidence information related to investigative outcome, latent print identification, and crime-specific uses of physical evidence by evidence category. Following descriptions of the study sites, the use of criminalistics resources is analyzed for 12 offense categories in each step of the crime investigation process. The study found that physical evidence information was used predominantly to corroborate when there was a suspect and that criminalistics was seldom used in cases which had no named suspect at the outset. Weapons and physiological material were types of evidence most frequently analyzed for homicide and rape, while latent prints and weapons were most frequently examined in robbery and assault. A separate survey of latent prints at the three sites revealed significant differences in the number of offenses resolved with the aid of fingerprint match which was explained in terms of local resources and practices. The latent print potential in crime investigation was underutilized at all sites. In general, investigators were not familiar enough with their crime laboratories to take full advantage of their capabilities. Charts, tables, 14 references, and a glossary are included. See NCJ 83271-83273 for Vol. 2 through Vol. 4.